The present invention relates generally to electrical connectors and, more particularly, to coaxial connectors of the panel-mounted type which can be reliably connected, both electrically and mechanically, under diverse conditions of misalignment.
The modularization of electronic equipment often requires the mating of large number of connectors to electrically couple one component or module to another component or module. Frequently, the connectors are mounted to a panel; e.g., to the wall of a housing or other enclosure, or to a printed circuit board; and the modules are electrically coupled by mating the connectors on one panel with complementary connectors on a second panel.
An important requirement of electrical connectors is to provide reliable, noise-free transmission of the electrical signals between the coupled components or modules. This requirement is particularly critical in high frequency applications wherein the connectors must provide reliable connections at frequencies of 18 GHz or more. In such applications, each connector must be properly mated, both electrically and mechanically, to obtain proper system operation.
In some prior systems, proper mating was assured by individually screwing each connector on the first panel to its complementary connector on the second panel. Such a procedure can be time-consuming when large numbers of connectors must be mated (in many applications, 50 to 100 or more connectors are mounted on each panel), and, in many applicatins, is precluded by the physical location of the connectors. In many installations, the connectors must be mated at sites that are surrounded by or enclosed by other parts of the system. In rack and panel systems, for example, wherein a rack member in the form of a drawer or the like is inserted into a panel member, access to the individual connectors is frequently not possible during mating.
In rack and panel systems and in other systems wherein connectors must be "blind-mated" to one another, directly pluggable connectors of the "quick-connect and disconnect" type are generally used. In "blind-mated" systems, however, each connector on one panel should be accurately aligned with its complementary connector on the other panel to obtain proper mating when the panels are brought together. In the past, accurate alignment, in turn, has required that the system be manufactured to precise tolerances which greatly increases the cost of manufacturing the system.
To reduce the problem of connector misalignment and to permit a relaxation in manufacturing tolerance requirements, the connectors on one of the panels have been mounted so that they are capable of moving or "floating" relative to the panel to automatically align themselves with their complementary connectors during mating. Examples of "floating" connectors are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,091,748; 3,094,364; 4,227,765 and 4,580,862. Such known "floating" connector designs cannot be easily installed in the field. Additionally, in many such known designs, the connectors cannot be assembled until they are mounted to a panel in the field, thus presenting a problem of missing parts and system assembly in, frequently, an undesirable environment. In other designs, the connectors must be secured to the panel by a plurality of screws of other fastening elements which increases assembly time and cost and is inconvenient. In many designs also, the floating connectors cannot maintain proper mating when the connectors are subjected to various external forces during use.